Physocarpus plant named ‘JONIGHT’

ABSTRACT

A new cultivar of  Physocarpus , ‘JONIGHT’ that is characterized by its compact, upright and bushy plant habit, its foliage that is very dark purplish-brown to black in color, and its well branched stems with short internodes.

Genus/species: Physocarpus opulifolius.

Varietal denomination: ‘JONIGHT’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofPhysocarpus opulifolius and will be referred to hereafter by itscultivar name, ‘JONIGHT’. ‘JONIGHT’ represents a new cultivar ofPhysocarpus, a deciduous shrub grown for landscape use.

The new Physocarpus arose from a breeding program conducted by theInventors at their nursery in Newtown, The United Kingdom. ‘JONIGHT’originated as a seedling that arose from seed pooled and planted derivedfrom open pollination of Physocarpus opulifolius cultivars ‘Dart's Gold’(not patented), ‘Monlo’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,211) in fall of 2008,and unnamed proprietary seedlings. The exact parentage is thereforeunknown. The new Physocarpus was selected as a single unique plant in2009.

Asexual propagation of the new cultivar was first accomplished bysoftwood cuttings in Newton, The United Kingdom by one of the Inventorsin 2009. Asexual propagation by softwood cuttings has determined thatthe characteristics of this cultivar are stable and reproduced true totype in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and represent thecharacteristics of the new Physocarpus. These attributes in combinationdistinguish ‘JONIGHT’ as unique and distinct cultivar of Physocarpus.

-   -   1. ‘JONIGHT’ exhibits a compact, upright, bushy plant habit.    -   2. ‘JONIGHT’ exhibits foliage that is very dark purplish-brown        to black in color.    -   3. ‘JONIGHT’ exhibits well-branched stems with short internodes.

‘JONIGHT’ can be compared to its possible parent plants, ‘Monlo’ and‘Dart's Gold’. ‘Monlo’ differs from ‘JONIGHT’ in having foliage that isa lighter black/green in color, in having larger leaves that are moreirregular in size and internodes that are longer in length, in beingless branched (more canes), in having a more vigorous growth habit, andin having a larger more erect plant habit. ‘Dart's Gold’ differs from‘JONIGHT’ in being larger in size and in having foliage that is yellowto chartreuse in color. ‘JONIGHT’ can also be compared to the cultivars‘Lady in Red’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 18,660). ‘Lady in Red’ differs from‘JONIGHT’ in being shorter, in having a more compact, bushy plant habit,in having foliage that is red to brown in color, and in havinginternodes that are shorter in length.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceand distinct characteristics of the new Physocarpus. The photographs inFIG. 1, FIG. 2, and FIG. 3 were taken of plants about 6 months in agefrom a liner grown in 2.5-liter containers in Maldon, Essex, The UnitedKingdom.

FIG. 1 provides a view of the mature foliage of ‘JONIGHT’.

The photograph in FIG. 2 provides a close-up view of the young foliageof ‘JONIGHT’.

The photograph in FIG. 3 provides a comparison view of the maturefoliage of ‘Lady in Red’ on the left and ‘JONIGHT’ on the right.

The photograph is FIG. 4 was taken of a plant about 3 years in age asgrown in a trial garden in Newtown, The United Kingdom and provides aview of the fruit and flowers of ‘JONIGHT’.

The colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color valuescited in the detailed botanical description, which accurately describethe colors of the new Physocarpus.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANT

The following is a detailed description of one year-old old plants (froma liner) of the new cultivar as grown outdoors in three-liter containersin Liss, The United Kingdom with the mature size and flower and fruitdata collected from 3 year-old plants grown outdoors in a trial gardenin in Newtown, The United Kingdom. The phenotype of the new cultivar mayvary with variations in environmental, climatic, and culturalconditions, as it has not been tested under all possible environmentalconditions. The color determination is in accordance with The 2007R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England,except where general color terms of ordinary dictionary significance areused.

-   General description:    -   -   Blooming period.—Late spring/early summer on old wood in The            United Kingdom.        -   Plant habit.—Upright, well-branched, bushy, deciduous shrub.        -   Height and spread.—An average of 36 cm in height and 18 cm            in spread in a 3-liter container, matures to about 1.2 m in            height and 60 cm in width in the landscape (if un-pruned).        -   Hardiness.—At least in U.S.D.A. Zone 2.        -   Diseases and pests.—No susceptibility or resistance to            diseases or pests has been observed.        -   Root description.—Fibrous.        -   Growth rate.—Moderate.        -   Propagation.—Softwood cuttings.-   Branch description:    -   -   Branch color.—New growth; A blend of 200C and N199B, old            wood N199B.        -   Branch shape.—Round to slightly angled.        -   Branch aspect.—Held at an average angle of 70° from            vertical.        -   Branch size.—An average of 3 mm in diameter and 30 cm in            length.        -   Branch surface.—Glabrous.        -   Branching.—Well-branched; an average of 6 lateral branches            in a 3-liter container.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Leaf shape.—Ovate.        -   Leaf division.—Simple.        -   Leaf base.—Weakly cordate.        -   Leaf apex.—Acute.        -   Leaf venation.—Pinnate, color upper surface; N187A, color            lower surface; 177A to 177C.        -   Leaf margin.—Three to five lobed with lobes crenate to            serrate.        -   Leaf attachment.—Petiolate.        -   Leaf arrangement.—Alternate.        -   Leaf surface.—Glabrous on both surfaces.        -   Leaf size.—An average of 6.5 cm in length and width.        -   Internode length.—An average of 4.25 cm in center of stem.        -   Leaf color.—Young foliage upper and lower surface; a blend            of 178A and 178B and suffused with N18713, mature foliage            upper surface; a blend of 203A, N186C, and 200A, mature            foliage lower surface; N199A and tinged with 138B (closest),            fall foliage upper surface; a blend of 187A to 187B and            N186C, fall foliage lower surface; 177B to 177C (slightly            redder).        -   Petioles.—An average of 2 cm in length and 2 mm in diameter,            glabrous surface, a blend of 200B and N186C in color.        -   Stipules.—None.-   Flower description (not a distinguishing characteristic):    -   -   Flower type.—Small rotate flowers arranged in spherical            corymb.        -   Inflorescence size.—An average of 3.5 cm in width and depth.        -   Flower fragrance.—Slight.        -   Flower lastingness.—Corymb lasts about Average of 14 to 20            days, not persistent, individual flowers about 3 days.        -   Flower bud description.—Elliptic in shape, average of 3.5 cm            in length and 3 mm in diameter, 183D in color.        -   Flower quantity.—About 40 per corymb.        -   Flower size.—About 6 mm in depth and 7.5 mm in diameter.        -   Peduncles.—About 1.4 cm in length and 2 mm in diameter, 144A            in color, glabrous surface.        -   Pedicels.—About 1.8 cm in length and 1 mm in diameter, 144A            in color, glabrous surface.        -   Petal description.—5, elliptic to obovate in shape, margin            is entire, apex is broadly acute, lower and upper surface is            glabrous, apex is obtuse, base is attenuate.        -   Petal size.—About 5 mm in length and 4 mm in width.        -   Petal color.—Opening; upper surface N155C and lower surface            N155C and blushed with 65D, fully open; upper and lower            surface 155D turning slightly greyer as they age.        -   Calyx size.—Average of 7.5 mm in length and diameter.        -   Sepal description.—5, subulate in shape, margin is entire,            apex is acute, surface is glabrous.        -   Sepal size.—Average of 1.7 cm in length, 3 mm in width.        -   Sepal color.—Outer and inner surfaces; 144A when developing,            turning to 75C after anthesis.-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Gynoecium.—4, Pistil about 0.5 mm in length, stigma is            globular in shape and 145B in color, style is about 1 cm in            length and N155C in color, ovary is 145B in color.        -   Androecium.—Numerous, anthers are oblong in shape, about 0.5            mm in length and 197A in color, filaments are about 5 mm in            length, pollen is scarce in quantity; too minimum for color            reading.-   Fruit and seed: Fruit a firm-walled inflated follicle, 5-starred,    splitting open at seams, 46C in color, seeds are hard, shiny, ovoid    in shape, 155B in color as they start developing and turning darker    at maturity.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Physocarpus plant named‘JONIGHT’ as herein illustrated and described.